Inspired by environmental sustainability Scott Durfee and George Medeiros of Spathose will showcase the latest installment of their work with palm spathe in their upcoming show "Spathe" at Cory Allen Contemporary Art's The Showroom next week.
"At first, Scott and I had to go out and look for spathe. Now, people are bringing it to us and even suggesting ideas for the pieces they've collected," said George Medeiros.
Spathe, the remnants discarded from palm trees and most commonly referred to as yard debris, has been the primary medium of Scott and George's work in many different forms over the last decade. Not only artists, they are activists in the environmental sustainability movement and hope to shed light on recreating beauty from what most people abandon simply as trash.
"We have a vision for every piece we do and the natural form of the spathe collected helps guide us to that piece," said Scott Durfee. "We found a way to create stand-alone to functional sculptures, which wearable sculptures has become our primary focus."
Initially creating stand-alone sculptures to be displayed for eyes only, Scott and George wanted more functionality from their work and began creating wearable sculptures. Their wearable sculptures, men's ties, purses, arm bands, necklaces, and now in their latest show, masks, have given them prominent success in the media for their distinctive vision.
"People throw spathe away and we want them to wear it," said George Medeiros. "We are saving Florida landfills one accessory at a time."
Spathe is a truly indigenous, sustainable material that evokes the essence of Florida. Mostly known for their blend of fine art and fashion with their wearable sculptures, Scott and George will be displaying their latest work, as well as, some of their previous work that has been featured in many publications; most recently Handmade Business.
"Spathe" will open to the public at CACA's The Showroom, the world's first public relations gallery, located in the Warehouse Arts District in St. Petersburg, Fla. on June 25, 2015.
For more information, contact Cory Allen at 727-365-0254 or visit either
www.spathose.com or
www.cacanet.com.
Pictured: "Spathe" by Scott Durfee and George Medeiros. (Photo by Lola Portraits.)
